Disaster at my first tourney - simple guidelines appreciated

[tenbrvc]

Hi all. I hate to be reading all these success stories, lol. So this is from the other side of the coin!

 

First, I’m a complete novice at this T.D. thing. I am recently a member of one of the private clubs on BBO and when I asked my T.D. what it was like running tournaments, she told me they practically run themselves :D and everything usually goes smoothly. I’ve never seen her have any problems so I thought this would be a piece of cake, lol. :)

 

So I ran my first individual tourney on Thursday night, and even with 9 tables in play, I had more problems than I can handle and had to call for help in the lobby :-[. Gerardo and Allan were just too nice. Only if I had known beforehand what I got myself into! :-

 

Now I have a lot of questions. Hopefully they will make my next tournament a smoother one. I know now there is no way I can do it alone, at least not the first few times, so don’t give me that advice!! lol

 

I’ve read some of the other topics in this forum, and I have even more questions!

 

1. I had trouble with the chat bubbles. I didn’t know if they were directed at me, or directed at other people. Gerardo said the ones for me are in blue, but I see green. And is there an easier way to manage the bubbles? I had bubbles popping up everywhere!

 

2. Everyone was calling me to their tables, and I mean everybody! Can someone please give me simple instructions on what to do when that happens. How do I adjust scores? I can imagine they want to complain about playing with sitouts, slow play. What do I do? How do I talk to them? When I’m at their tables, if I just type, can only that table see what I’m typing, or can everybody in the tournament? There must a simple way for me to view all the messages in the tournament room, or can I?

 

3. When I learnt how to replace sitouts with subs, the tourney was already half over. And adding a second director, is it the tilde ~ sign that I use? When they call the director, can all directors see the message, or just the first available one?

 

4. I read somewhere to use a higher resolution so I can see more? I have a 17” monitor. Wouldn’t that make the print too tiny or just right?

 

5. Is there a way to get a log of the tourney?

 

6. I need some lessons (keep it basic, lol) on when to adjust scores and how. I’ve never been a director, only played bridge.

 

Thanks.

 

Michael

[inquiry]

1. I had trouble with the chat bubbles. I didn’t know if they were directed at me, or directed at other people. Gerardo said the ones for me are in blue, but I see green. And is there an easier way to manage the bubbles? I had bubbles popping up everywhere!

 

For goodness sake, get rid of the chat bubbles. You are in the minimized form of the window. Maximize the window by clicking on the button between the red X and little underscore in the upper right hand of window. When you do this, you will see a scrollable text area below the table where text messages are seen. You can scroll up and down through them. Private ones to you are in blue.... A must, especially for directors.

 

2. A) How do I adjust scores? :D When I’m at their tables, if I just type, can only that table see what I’m typing, or can everybody in the tournament? C) There must a simple way for me to view all the messages in the tournament room, or can I?

 

A) Click on "table" button (lower right hand side of the screen). You will see a new window, part of which says "ADUST SCORE". Type in any player at the table in one box, the board number in the next and the result you want... so for example... 12 Inquiry 7NN= would change the result on board 12 at the table inquiry played at to 7N by north making.

 

:) You can chat to the table, by making sure teh CHAT TO: box says "this room". You can chat to a person, by clicking on their name, and you can chat to the entire tournment by making sure the chat to box says "The tournment"

 

c) When you get the white chat area open underneath the table, you can scrrolll around.

 

 

3. When I learnt how to replace sitouts with subs, the tourney was already half over. And adding a second director, is it the tilde ~ sign that I use? When they call the director, can all directors see the message, or just the first available one?

 

It is my understanding it goes to just one director, but I am not certain. I do know we don't all show up at the same table.

 

4. I read somewhere to use a higher resolution so I can see more? I have a 17” monitor. Wouldn’t that make the print too tiny or just right?

 

Definitely go to higher resolution so you can get the white chat area below the table.

 

5. Is there a way to get a log of the tourney?

 

Remember one player name and then go to the myhands site and get it...

 

http://bridgebase.lunarpages.com/cgi-bin/history.pl

 

6. I need some lessons (keep it basic, lol) on when to adjust scores and how. I’ve never been a director, only played bridge.

 

You are on your own there.

[tenbrvc]

Thank you, Inquiry! That sounds simple enough. Really appreciate it!

[uday]

3. Only one director is notified of each incoming call from a table. That is, multiple directors share the workload. To specify multiple directors use this syntax

 

director1~director2~director3

 

for example jack~john~joan

 

 

2a)

The adjusted score syntax is a little strange but easy enough.

http://www.bridgebase.com/help/3/tourneyman.html

http://www.bridgebase.com/tourney/help

 

1)

If you cannot increase resolution, try ignoring lobby chat. Click on your own name to bring up your profile to see this option

 

 

6)

I almost never adjust scores. I think it is a mistake to do so; yes, in some circumstances it would be more equitable to adjust scores, but it is a pain for the director (who has enough to do dealing with subs). You can adjust scores if you want. Announcing your policy at tourney-start will make your life easier

 

0) I suggest browsing thru the help files again (links above) ; some of the stuff you need is in there.

[tenbrvc]

Thanks Uday. I feel more confident now, and at the same time nervous about hosting the next tourney.

 

I am posting my questions rather than emailing you directly so other new directors can hopefully learn something from my experience.

 

I thought of more questions:

 

1. If you need to adjust scores, is there a way to see what other tables have done? Or do you have to wait until the play has been completed and then decide?

 

2. What does a player in red mean?

 

3. Can a director see chat messages at all the tables at the same time, or do you have to be at the table to see that table’s chats? And when you are sending messages, you ALWAYS have to indicate whether it’s addressed to the tournament, lobby, or a specific player? And if you just start typing while you’re in a window, and then press Enter, where do your messages go? Is there an easy way to respond to a message while you’re in the Maximized screen without having to specify the player’s name (ie clicking on chat, and then scrolling to find the player’s name)?

 

4. What is the best way to find a yellow that will sit with you when you are hosting tourneys set up on the spur of the moment?

[Gerardo]

I thought of more questions:

 

1. If you need to adjust scores, is there a way to see what other tables have done? Or do you have to wait until the play has been completed and then decide?

 

If you want to compare, you have to wait (or go table after table and see the movie), but you can adjust when tourney is over.

 

2. What does a player in red mean?

 

Player is gone, seat is reserved for him.

 

3. Can a director see chat messages at all the tables at the same time, or do you have to be at the table to see that table’s chats? And when you are sending messages, you ALWAYS have to indicate whether it’s addressed to the tournament, lobby, or a specific player? And if you just start typing while you’re in a window, and then press Enter, where do your messages go? Is there an easy way to respond to a message while you’re in the Maximized screen without having to specify the player’s name (ie clicking on chat, and then scrolling to find the player’s name)?

 

No, you see chat's addressed at whatever room you are in. In a tourney table you get lobby chats (if not turned off), tourney chats and table chats from that table.

 

Conversely, chats by default are addressed to whatever room you're in (lobby when in lobby, tourney when in tourney, table when in table).

 

To send a private msg, you can pull down the "Chat to:" list.

 

To answer a msg, just click on the other person's nick to have a chat windows addressed at him/her.

 

4. What is the best way to find a yellow that will sit with you when you are hosting tourneys set up on the spur of the moment?

 

Please, ask for help in advance! Like, "I will do a tourney at HH:MM, can you help me?", NOT in middle of tourney, thank you.

 

Your tourney was fine, don't worry ;-) Just a few adjustments was needed, that's all.

[tenbrvc]

Thank you Gerardo.

 

I am really sorry for requesting your help in the middle of the tourney, and I really mean it. I really did not expect all the problems I had, and I felt many participants were starting to get angry.

 

I will be better prepared in the future.

 

Michael

[Posleda]

1. If you need to adjust scores, is there a way to see what other tables have done? Or do you have to wait until the play has been completed and then decide?

 

In real-life tournaments TD may not to award adjusted score according to results from other tables. So have teached me :o.